1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fan heater with a humidifier, wherein a warm air generation mechanism for generating warm air and a humidification mechanism for generating a mist are provided in the same housing to effectively supply warm air and appropriate moisture at the same time.
2. Description of Related Art
As the temperatures in many parts of the world can be intolerably low, the uncomfortable sensation of coldness has given rise to the development of electric heaters, fan heaters, and the like. While these products are intended to provide warmth to spaces of specific sizes, continued use of electric heaters or fan heaters indoors will make the air so dry that another kind of discomfort is felt. The overly dry air may irritate or even injure such sensitive organs as the skin and the mucous membrane.
Conventionally, fan heaters and humidifiers are separate devices independent of each other. A consumer tends to buy a fan heater first and will not consider buying a humidifier until a later time. However, whether the fan heater and the humidifier are purchased separately or at the same time, the additional cost of the humidifier is inevitable. The humidifier also occupies extra space.
The main structure of a conventional fan heater includes a quartz electric heating tube and a blower. The quartz electric heating tube serves as the heat source. The air generated by the blower blows over the heat source and becomes warm. The warm air is then output through an air outlet. Nevertheless, this structure has low heating efficiency due to the fact that the components near the quartz electric heating tube are subject to prolonged overheating and that the heat source cannot be released.
On the other hand, the main structure of a conventional humidifier includes a fixed humidifier main body, an atomizer, and a blower. The water stored in the humidifier main body is pumped to the atomizer where the water is gasified into a mist, and the mist is blown out of the humidifier by the blower. This structure, however, incurs high manufacturing costs and adds to the complexity of the control procedure of the humidifier. Besides, the water level in the humidifier cannot be known from the outside and can only be detected by the control unit. As such, the conventional humidifier leaves much room for improvement.